Burundi Government Lifts Ban on BBC

The Burundi government has lifted a ban on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that it imposed in March 2019. 

The central African nation’s media regulator revoked the BBC’s license and accused it of airing a documentary that it said was false and damaged the country’s reputation. 

BBC Africa Eye ran a documentary that exposed the secret torture and detention sites run by the country’s security services.

Following the documentary, BBC’s operation licence was immediately withdrawn: BBC broadcasts were taken off air and journalists in the country (including BBC’s) were banned from directly or indirectly reporting for the BBC.

In an internal communication to BBC staff, Solomon Mugera acknowledges receiving information on the lifting of the ban.   

"We’re receiving information from Burundi that the government has lifted the ban on the BBC. Our colleagues Prime and Anne-Marie Nwaobasi, BBC’s Business Development Manager for Francophone Africa, are carefully studying the communique that was issued this morning by Burundi’s regulatory body, the National Communications Council. There are issues that are still under discussion between the BBC and the regulator," part of the statement read. 

Early this year, Burundi’s President Everiste Ndayishimiye directed the country’s media regulator to commence discussions with banned media organisations and work towards reopening their operations in the country.